Tank type vacuum cleaner and supporting means therefor



Feb. 16, 1943. l w. J. cLEMENTs 2,311,369

TANK TYPE VACUUM CLEANER AND SUPPORTING MEANS THEREFOR Filed April 11,'1941 2 Sheets ',sheet 1 wa Z'./

Feb. 16, 1943. w. J. CLL-:MENTS 2,311,369

TANK TYPE VACUUM CLEANER AND SUPPORTING MEANS THEREFOR Filed April 11,1941 2 sheets sheet 2 Harney/15* Patented Feb. 16, 1943 UNTE TE TANKTYPE VACUUM CLEANER AND SUP- PORTING MEANS THEREFOR William J. Clements,Chicago, Ill., assignor to Clements Mfg. Co., Chicago, Ill., acorporation of Illinois Application April 11, 1941, Serial No. 388,049

(Cl. 23m- 117) 8 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in vacuum cleaners and has forone purpose the provision of an improved vacuum cleaner of the type inwhich the dust bag, motor and fan are enclosed within a housing and inwhich a motor assembly and an associated fan assembly may be readilyunitarily removed from the housing, in connection with a supportingmember removably secured to the housing.

Another purpose is the provision of such a supporting member to whichnot only the motor and fan assemblies, but supporting means for thehousing, are also secured and may be unitarily removed from the housing.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of thespecification and claims.

The present application is a division in part of my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 282,372, led in the United States Patent Oce onJuly 1, 1939 issued on the 17th day of June, 1941 as United StatesLetters Patent No. 2,245,760.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawings where- 1n:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a Vacuum cleaner;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a cleaner casing, with some of themechanism in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of a cleaner illustrating my invention, withparts of the closure cap broken away;

Fig. 4 is a partial section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation illustrating a variant form of my device; and

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the form of Fig. 5.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specication anddrawings.

Referring to the drawings, I generally indicates a tubular orcylindrical housing, which has at one end a ring 2, including a flangeportion 3 which ts about the exterior of one end of the housing I. V4indicates any suitable screws or other securing means whereby the ringmay be secured to the housing. 5 indicates a spider structure extendinggenerally radially inwardly from the ring andv supporting the inner hub6, herein shown as unitary with the spider and ring.

'I is any suitable removable-covering or cap having any suitable airoutlet apertures 8. 9 is a ring of rubber or the like set within acentral aperture of the hub 6. I0 generally indicates a shield or ringhaving a circumferential flange II and a central air aperture I2.Extending inwardly from the inner edge of thering I0 are supports I3,which carry an inner ring It, which receives the motor eld laminationsI1.

22 is an abutment ring abutting against the opposite end of the group ofeld laminations I1. Any suitable means, for example bolts 23, may beemployed for clamping it and for thereby holding the laminations IIagainst the abutment ledges I6 of the members I5. The ring 22 also isadapted to support any suitable brushes, which brushes cooperate withthe commutator of the motor. 26 is a generally cylindrical outerextension of the bridge 25, which penetrates the central aperture withinthe rubber sleeve 9.

Any suitable switch structure may be used, generally indicated as 28,29, the details of which do not of themselves form part of the presentinvention. I illustrate, however, two separate outwardly extendingmanually manipulatable switch members 30, 3|. 32 indicates anysuitableconductive line extending to any suitable source of electric power notherein shown.

Mounted upon the ange of the ring I0 is a fan housing structure 40. Inorder to support the ring I0 for ready endwise removal from the housingI, I provide a yielding compressible ring 43 of rubber or the like.

The motor shaft 2| is shown as having an extension into the fan housing.Mounted on the shaft extension 80 are fandiscs 85,'86.

It will be noted that the entire fan and motor assembly can be readilyand unitarily removed from the housing I by simply releasing the screws4 and the below described runner structure. Another ring |00 is mountedat the opposite end of the housing.

It will be noted that the ring 2 is formed with a plurality ofdownwardly and outwardly extending lugs IOI, which may be apertured, asat |02, to receive the recurved upbent end |03 of any suitable runnerstructure |04. ing set screws in the lugs |0I, which are shown as anexample of practical means for locking the runners in place. Anotherring |00 is mounted at the opposite end of the housing. It is formedwith corresponding lugs |00 and apertured to vreceive the opposite endsof the runners |04. |01

indicates locking set screws in the lugs |06.

It will be noted that the entire ian and motor "assembly, and thetracks, can be readily and uni- |05 indicate lock- .switch mechanism 28,29, 30, 3|.

repair or replacement. It will be understood, of course, that anyimpeding part, such as the switch structures 28, 29, are first removedin order to permit the sliding of the support 48 along the inner face ofthe housing In the form of device sh'own in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, in placeof the runners |04, I provide other ground-engaging supporting means,such as the pivoted casters I I0, of which two may be secured on thelugs of the ring 2, and two on the lugs |06 of the ring |00. Since thecleaner is propelled by pulling it forwardly by means of the hose ||5,when the caster form is employed, it may be desirable to x th'e rearcasters on the ring 2 against rotation about their vertical axes, whileleaving the front casters secured to the ring |00 free to swivel abouttheir vertical axes as well as to rotate about their horizontal axes.

The vacuum inlet tube ||5, which extends to any suitable oor-engagingtool, may be secured to the end cover plate ||6 in any suitable manner.I illustrate for example latches which are mounted on the ring |00itself. Similarly, the closure 1 at th'e opposite end of the housing maybe secured directly to the ring 2 by any suitable means, for example thescrews la; It will thus appear that my structure includes a simpletubular housing having a removable ring at each end. The ring 2 may bereleased by simply unscrewing the screws 4, and the ring |00 may bereleased by merely unscrewing the screws |0041.

The rings are additionally connected to each other by the tracks |04,and if desired by th'e longitudinally extending elements lMa, which maybe removably secured to lugs |04b on the rings, as for example by screws|04c.

In addition to the rings 2 and |00, the only 'parts which are secureddirectly to the housing are any suitable handle |30, and of course theThe result is economy in manufacture and ease and speed of assembly.Th'e ready removability of the end rings and all the associated partsmakes the device not merely easy to assemble but easy and simple toinspect and service.

It will be realized that, whereas I have described and illustrated apractical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made inthe size, shape, number and disposition of parts Awithout departing fromthe spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawingsto be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, ratherthan as limiting me to my precise showing.

I claim:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, a generally tubular housing, means forsupporting it normally with its axis horizontal, a motor assembly and afan assembly secured to the motor assembly, said `assemblies beingpositioned within said housing housing, means, including supportingtracks, for Vsupporting it normally with its axis horizontal, a

motor assembly and a fan assembly secured to the motor assembly, saidassemblies being posiytioned within said housing with their axeshorizontal, a normally xed connection between the motor assembly and theend of the housing, including a ring removably secured to the h'ous-iing end, the motor and fan assemblies being secured to and unitarilyremovable with said ring, said supporting tracks for said housing beingsecured to and unitarily removable with said ring, and supportingconnections between the opposite ends of said tracks and an oppositeportion of said housing, said supporting connections being adapted forthe ready removal of the opposite ends of said tracks from the housing.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, a generally tubular housing, a removable ring ateach end of the housing,`a cover cap mounted on and removably secured toeach' ring, a motor assembly and a fan assembly located within thehousing and secured to one of said rings and unitarily removable withsaid ring, said assemblies being positioned within the housing withtheir axes horizontal, and supporting means for said housing Asecured tosaid rings and unitarily removable .with one of said rings from thehousing, said supporting means including tracks extending between saidrings and secured to each of said rings. y

4. In a vacuum cleaner, a generally tubular housing, means forsupporting it normally with its axis horizontal, a removable ring at oneend of the housing, and means for removably securing it to said housing,a motor assembly and a fan assembly located within the housing andsecured to said ring and unitarily removable from the housing with saidring, said assemblies being positioned within the housing, with theiraxes horizontal, and supporting casters for saidfhousing secured to saidring and unitarily removable from the housing with said ring.

5. Ina vacuum cleaner of the tank type, a

Aunitary tubular housing, a motor and fan unit mounted therein,track-like supports therefor, a ring removably secured to one end of thehousing, a second ring removably secured to the hopposite end of thehousing, said motor and fan unit being mounted upon one of said ringsand .unitarily removable therewith, each such tracklike support beingsecured at one end to one of said rings, the securing connection4between said tracks and one of said ringsbeing readilyfremovable. Y Y aY 6. In a vacuum Vcleaner -of the tank type, a generally cylindricaltubular housing, a motor and fan unit mounted therein, track-like.vsupports therefor, a ring removably secured to one end of the housing, asecond ring removably secured to the opposite end of the housing', saidmotor and fan unit being mounted upon one of said rings and unitarilyremovable therewith, each such track-like support being vsecured at oneend to one of said rings, the securing connection between said tracksand one ofv said rings being readily removable,

7. In a vacuum cleaner of the tank type, a

vunitary tubular housing, a motor and fan unit mounted therein,-track-like supports therefor,

a ring removably secured to one end of the housing, a second Yringremovably secured to the opposite end of the housing, said motor and fan unit being mounted upon one of said rings and .cured directly to saidrings.

8. In aV vacuum cleaner of: the tank type, a

unitary tubular housing, a motor and fan unit mounted therein,track-like supports therefor,

a ring removably secured to one end of the housing, a second ringremovably secured to the opposite end of the housing, said motor and fanunit being mounted upon one of said rings and unitarily removabletherewith, each such tracklike support; being secured lat one end to oneof said rings, the securing connection between said tracks and one ofsaid rings being readily removable, and an end closure secured to thering on which the motor and fan unit is mounted and unitarily removabletherewith.

WILLIAM J. CLEMENTS.

